In a case that drew strong amicus curiae interest, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has struck down the state’s Disorderly Conduct Statute and Disturbing Schools Statute, both of which have been used to prosecute elementary and secondary school students for misbehavior in school-related incidents.

In a Feb. 22 opinion, the appeals court upheld a decision by Senior Judge Margaret Seymour of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina that granted the plaintiffs and a class of all elementary and secondary school students in South Carolina a permanent injunction prohibiting the enforcement of the statute against students.